Tape alignment apparatus



3, 1959 r c. L. WELLINGTON TAPE ALIGNMENT APPARATUS Filed April 26, 1955 2 Shasta-Sheet 1 INVENTOR CARY. L. WELLINGTON FIG; 9 ATTIOHRNEYS 39 BY M, M #174 Dec. 8, 1959 c. 1.. WELLINGTON 2,916,223

' TAPE ALIGNMENT APPARATUS Filed April 26, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HT FIG-.IO.

United States Patent 2,916,228 TAPE ALIGNMENT APPARATUS Cary L. Wellington, Stamford, Conn., assignor m The Condenser Machine-ry Corpt, Englewo'od, N.J., a corporation of New York Application April 26, 1955, Serial No. 503,924 8 Claims. (c1. 242-76 This invention concerns a tape-alignment apparatus which is useful for superimposing flexible tapes on one another so that the edges of said tapes will be exactly aligned or will maintain a fixed offset position relative to one another. 7 I

In the prior art there have been various types of tape handling apparatus for collecting a plurality of tapes into a package of some sort. It has been a problem to obtain neat packaging because of the tendency for the edges of the tapes to misalign relative to one another. In some instances it is rather essential that the edges of tapes be superimposed or be oifset from one another with relative accuracy. For example, in the condenser making art, it is necessary to insurethat the insulating tapes are properly aligned to preserve within commercially allowabletolerances the capacitance between the metallic tape members which provide the condenser electrodes. Even a small shift in the relative positions of the metallic tapes in a small condenser may cause it to vary materially from the desired capacitance. In some instances it is possible, although inconvenient, to readjust the relative positions of the edges of the tapes in the product. However, where the various tapes have edges which are not superimposed in the final product, as in the case of condensers, such alignment after collection into a package is not practical. Accordingly, in the prior art 'it has become quite common to employ elaborate equipment to obtain exact alignment of the edges of the tapes, such as those used in condensers, for example. Such equipment has been cumbersome, dilficult to adjust and expensive to construct.

In terms of broad inclusion, the .present invention relates to the guiding means between the means for supplying tape and the means for collecting said tape. In addition, means is required to exert a pull on each tape in its lengthwise direction. The guiding member consists of a planar surface essentially perpendicular to the tape path in the desired plane of one edge of the tape. Cooperating with the guiding member is a member having a diverting surface arranged to deflect the tape from a straight line path between its supply and collection, said diverting surface being arrangedat a small angle from the perpendicular to the planar guiding surface. In being pulled over the divertingsurface, the tape will tend to slide down the diverting "surface into the guiding member and the edge contacting the guiding member will thus be constrained to lie in the plane of said guiding member.

Accordingly, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the present'invention provides-an extremely simple solution to the described alignment problem. Furthermore, the structure of the present invention is quite simple so that a highly accurate apparatus may be inexpensively constructed. Then, too, the adjustment and use of the apparatus is simple'so that the services of a highly skilled operator are not required to assure its proper operation. I

For a better understanding of the present invention,

2,916,228 Patented Dec. 8, 1959 reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein is shown a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a tape alignment apparatus for a condenser winding machine. The drawings may be described as follows:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing the device in its preferred form;

Fig. 2 is a section taken along line 22 in Fig. 1 showing the relative lateral position and alignment of the insulator and metallic tapes; V

Fig. 3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1 show-- ing an end view of the structure of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of one guide member of Figs. 1 and 3 in a view corresponding to that illustrated-in Fig.3;

Fig. -5 is a view of the same guide means illustrated in Fig. 4 from the same direction as in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a modified form of guide means for use with the present invention;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Figs. 4 and 6 showing partially in section still another modified form of the guide means of the present invention;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the guide means of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing partially in section and somewhat schematically a modified form of the guide means;

Fig. 10 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 but showing a modified form of the present invention; and

Fig. 11 is a view taken along line 11-11 of Fig. 10.

Referring to the drawings, there are a plurality of spindles .10, in this instance three, each of which supports a spool of insulator tape 11. Disc-like wall members 12 and planar guide surface 14 are employed to hold the spools in place. A small hub 12a permits the fixing of wall members 12 to spindles 10 by means of set screws or other suitable means. The tapes are fed over individual diverting members 13. The collecting means in this instance is winding arbor 15, which also supplies a pull along the length of the tapes 11.

On a spindle 16, which is supported by a bracket '17 attached to the member providing surface 14, is mounted a spool of metallic tape 18. A fixed backing member 19 and a disc-like wall 20 hold the spool of tape '18 in place. The disc-like wall may be held in place by a set screw extending through its hub member 20a to spindle 16.

Separated from tape 18 by an insulator tape 11 is tape 24. The spool of tape 24 is mounted on spindle 22 which is supported by bracket 23 on the member providing planar surface 14. The spool of metallic tape is held on spindle 22 between a disc-like wall 25 and backing member 26. The disc-like member 25 may be held in place on the spindle 22 by a radial set screw through its hub 25a.

The arrangement of the tapes employed is such that I each tape extends from a source of said tape to a means for collecting all of the tapes. In the case of those tapes which must be properly and accurately aligned relative to one another, a diverting means is employed.

ally, the angle should be only slightly less than and a degree or two less than 90 is usually all that is required. The drawings exaggerate the angle 19in order to emphasize the fact that 6 is less than 90.

In the particular apparatus illustrated, it is desirable to have the edges of all the insulator tapes aligned so that, in the wound package collected on the arbor, their edges will be superimposed on one another. With such alignment of the insulator tapes the metallic tapes may be offset in opposite directions from the aligned edges without danger of short circuit between the electrodes formed from the metal tapes. In someinstances, it might be desirable to insure exact alignment of the metallic tapes as well as the insulator tapes, but in most condenser applications this is unnecessary. The amount of offset between the metallic tapes, which is best seen in Fig. 2, readily indicates that with proper alignment of the insulator tapes there can be little danger of short circuiting.

In the structure illustrated, a lengthwise pull on the tapes is supplied by the winding arbor. A lengthwise pull without a lateral component is essential to the success of the present invention. It is the lengthwise pull on the tape which causes the tape to tend to seek the straight line position between supply and collection and hence slide downhill on the diverting member 13 and against the guide surface 14. The component of force causing the tape to slide downhill will tend to hold the abutting edge of the tape in the plane of the guiding surface 14 even beyond the bounds of said plane. Accordingly, by making the plane 14 coincide with that plane through the collecting means in which it is desirable for the edge of the collected tape to lie, exact alignment of the tape is assured.

In the apparatus shown it is desirable to have the edges of the insulator tapes exactly superimposed on one another. Accordingly, one guiding plane 14 is used to align all insulator tapes. In other applications (see Figs. 10 and 11) it may be desirable to have the edges of the collected tapes offset from one another an exact amount, in which event it is possible to accurately accomplish exact positioning of the tapes relative to one another with the desired amount of offset simply by arranging the guide planes, corresponding to plane 14, parallel to one another and spaced apart by said desired amount of offset.

The structure of Fig. 6 shows that the diverting surface may be supplied by pin 13' which is a right circular cylindrical pin which is merely tilted relative to guiding plane 14 to obtain the desired angle therebetween. I

- Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate still another version of the present invention employing a pin 13" having a frustoconical tapered surface quite similar to that of pin 13 of Figs. 4 and 5. However, pin 13" is split and so arranged relative to plane 14" that the angle 6 may be varied. Variation of the angle 0" is accomplishedby means of a wedge member 32 which, in this case, is the head of a screw having tapered side walls 33. Side walls 33 engage a tapered hollowed portion 34 within the split pin. As the screw 32 is advanced the walls 34 are able to be driven apart to'decrease 6 because of radial slots 35 which extend the length of the pin 13".

Referring to Figure 9, a different type of diverting surface is employed. In this instance, as in the specific structures shown in Figs. 4 and 7, the member in question is a frusto-conical member. However, in this case the diverting surface of the frusto-conical member 130 is at an angle with the guiding surface 140 of support 300, which angle is slightly more than 90. The deflecting member 130 is preferably hollow and is supported on an axial shaft 37 by hearing means 38 and 39 which are indicated schematically, but which may be of any conventional type, such as ball bearings. Thus member 130 is rotatable relative to shaft 37 and surface 140. The diverting surface in this instance performs the same function as do the diverting surfaces of the devices previously described. In this case, however, the mechanism is somewhat different. The member .4 130 is free to rotate about its axis of rotation as the tape 11 passes over it. Since the member is rotatable, it will rotate as the tape passes over it instead of remaining fixed. Consequently, the tendency will be for the tape to climb upward to the largest diameter of the rotatable member until its edge rests against planar guiding surface 140 which will thereafter hold the tape in alignment.

Referring to Figs. 10 and 11 a modified arrangement of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is illustrated. In these figures parts corresponding to parts in the structure of Figs. 1 and 2 are numbered the same as in Figs. 1 and 2, with the addition of primes thereto. The difference between Figs. 10 and 11 occurs in the region of spindles 16 and 22 which support metal foils 18 and 24. In this case, instead of limited backing members 19 and 26, planes 41 and 42 slightly offset from the major support plane 14 toward and away from the supported tapes, respectively, are provided. These plane Providing support members may be attached to the main support plane 14 in any suitable fashion and are intended to have their planes which support rolls of tape 18' and 24', respectively, offset from the support plane of member 14, the exact spacing desired between the edges of the tapes. Then on plane 41 there is provided a tapered pin 43, and on plane 42 is provided a tapered pin 44, both of which correspond to the pins 13 in appearance and function. These pins 43 and 44 are so positioned that for any size roll of foil intended to be used the foil path will be deflected between the roll supporting spindle 16 or 22 and the arbor 15'. In this way the pull exerted by the rotation of the arbor 15 will cause the tapes 18 and 24, respectively, to be guided, as previously described, against the planes 41 and 42, respectively. Thus in this version of the invention all tapes are precisely aligned relative to one another.

Various other modifications of the present invention will occur to those skilled in the art. All such modifications within the scope of the claims are intended to be within the scope and spirit of the present invention.

I claim:

1. A tape alignment apparatus comprising a support for a continuous length of tape, a winding arbor to receive an end of the tape supported on the support and wind it into a roll on the arbor such that one edge of that tape in the roll lies in a common plane, a guided tape path between the support and the arbor, a member along the guided tape path providing a planar surface in the desired common plane, and a guiding pin positioned relative to the planar surface to deflect the tape between the supply and arbor into the guided tape path, said guiding pin having a surface which, as a result of the pull by the arbor on the deflected tape, urges the edge of the tape which is to be aligned against the planar surface.

2. The tape alignment apparatus of claim 1 in which I the guiding pin is tilted at a small angle from perpendicular to the'plane and the deflected tape path passes over a surface of the pin at an angle of less than to the planar surface.

3. The tape alignment apparatus of claim 1 in which they guiding pin provides an outwardly diverging conical surface extending away from the planar surface.

4. The tape alignment apparatus of claim 3 in which the taper of the surface of the guiding pin is adjustable.

5. The tape alignment apparatus of claim 1 in which the guiding pin provides an outwardly converging conical surface extending away from the planar surface and provided to rotate freely about an axis perpendicular to the plane.

6. A tape winding machine having a tape alignment in a given plane apparatus for aligning one edge of a particular tape wound into a package of many tapes, comprising separate support means for a plurality of continuous lengths of tape, a winding arbor to receive the ends of the various tapes supported on the support means for winding them into a roll on the arbor so that one edge of at least one tape in the roll lies in a common plane, a guided tape path between the support and the arbor for the tape whose edge lies in said plane, a member along the guided tape path providing a planar surface in the desired common plane, and a guide pin positioned relative to the planar surface to deflect that tape between its supply and the arbor into the guided tape path, said guiding pin having a surface which, as a result of the pull by the arbor on the deflected tape, urges that edge of the tape which is to be aligned against the planar surface.

7. A tape alignment apparatus for aligning an edge of various tapes wound into a spiral roll such that the planes of various edges are offset from one another, comprising a plurality of supports for continuous lengths of tape, a winding arbor to receive the ends of the various tapes and wind them together in a roll on the arbor such that the planes of the edges of different tapes in the roll are offset laterally from one another, a guided tape path between the support and the arbor for each of the tapes to be aligned, a member along each guided tape path providing a planar surface in the desired common plane, and guiding pins associated with each of the guiding tape paths positioned relative to its associated planar surface to deflect the tape passing along the guided tape path, each guiding pin having a surface which, as a result of the pull by the arbor on the deflected tape, urges the edge of the tape which is to be aligned against the planar surface.

8. The tape alignment apparatus of claim 7 in which means are provided to handle both insulating and conducting tapes in order to form electrical condensers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 698,125 Messter Apr. 22, 1902 1,616,926 Scott Feb. 8, 1927 2,358,654 Nordberg Sept. 19, 1944 2,459,536 Nordberg Jan. 18, 1949 2,464,173 Broadmeyer Mar. 8, 1949 2,476,070 Solliday July 12, 1949 2,666,598 Robinette Jan. 19, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 433,284 Great Britain 1935 715,956 Great Britain Sept. 22, 1954 611.653 Germany Apr. 4, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent Noo 2,916,228 December 8, 1959 Gary L, Wellington It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line '72, claim 6, should read as shown below instead of as in the patent:

-- apparatus for aligning in a given plane one edge of a Signed and sealed this 17th day of May 196C) (SEAL) Attest:

KARL H. AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attesting Oflicer Commissioner of Patents 

